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Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning 1st Edition

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Peter C. Brown (Author)
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Peter C. Brown (Author), Henry L. Roediger III (Author),
Mark A. McDaniel (Author)
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Mark A. McDaniel (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 314 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0674729018
ISBN-10: 0674729013
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Belknap Press; 1 edition (April 14, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0674729013
  • ISBN-13: 978-0674729018
  • Product Dimensions: 1 x 5.8 x 8.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (314 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,671 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsThere's How You Think You Learn, and There's How You Learn!
By Kevin Currie-Knight VINE VOICE on June 6, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Okay, well maybe I am overstating that a little. But the main "thesis" of Peter Brown's book - aside from being a summary of what cognitive science data shows about how we learn - is basically that many of the things we often assume about learning are wrong. Here are some of them: we learn best by reading and rereading a passage until we really understand it. WRONG! We learn best when we isolate a skill and practice it over and over again. WRONG! We all have learning styles that are the way we learn best. WRONG! IQ (or something like it) imposes relatively firm limits on how much information we can absorb. WRONG!

In this pretty easy-reading book, Peter Brown summarizes some of the latest findings in cognitive science, and many of these findings contradict what is often assumed about learning. First, many k-12 and college students are taught to (and do) use the 'reread and highlight' method to try and absorb content. Well, while this works to an extent, it leads more to an illusion of mastery than mastery. What works better? Read the content and quiz yourself; information retrieval is the key. Retrieving helps to build stronger connections in the brain that will lock information into memory. What's more - and this is another chapter - the harder the retrieval, the stronger your retention of what is retrieved. (So, writing a short essay recalling the concepts works better than true/false and multiple choice recall.)

Another myth? While we all certainly have learning preferences (I like to receive my information in written form), that doesn't mean we learn best when receiving information in that form (I can do as well when I receive information audibly as when it is written, even though I prefer the latter).Read more ›
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4.0 out of 5 starsHow the Mind Learns - a how to guide, with stories
By A. Mazonian on July 28, 2014
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Is there anything new in this book? I believe there is sage advice in it for many of us.
That our brains adapt is good but also bad for studying. We become bored.

For many of us, we were never taught how our minds work and how we should leverage its natural processes to learn. Sometimes, practice or studying feels painfully slow and we often switch to another method that feels good. Unfortunately, we often fail at assessing how much we're learning and have actually learned.

Some students were never taught how to learn, and had few, if any, good teachers/mentors.
Some teachers were never taught how to teach, and have forgotten what it was like to be a student.
This book is for those both groups. The examples and advice for teachers and corporate trainers is also well written and useful.

If you have had good teachers or learning examplars, you might find this book less valuable than will most people.

SUMMARY:
PROs: This book will show you how to structure your learning and assessment processes to learn and confirm you're actually retaining the material. It provides 27 pages of endnotes on scientific studies that support its recommendations. Having read and applied the principles of both MIS and WSSK (see below), I can say they do work, very well.

CONs: Be prepared to look for what you want. Most of us will focus on the prescriptions of Chapter 8: e.g. avoid rereading as a primary study method, and do use the blank paper assessment test, etc..Read more ›
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3.0 out of 5 starsAfraid of hundreds of pages of Fluff? Read the article!!!!
By Eddard S. on November 15, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
So I read about 10-20 reviews of this book because it sounded very interesting.

I came to this conclusion. It probably has some good info but it's surrounded by hundreds of pages of fluff. If you read a lot of books about learning new skills or other nonfiction, you know this to be a FAR too common theme among newer books. It's like they can't sell it if it doesn't reach 300 pages. No one will pay for a well written concise 20-40 page book.

Well, after reading through reviews I found the article this was based on - if you have good google skills, then you should be able to find the PDF for free (I did):

What Works, What Doesn't - Some study techniques accelerate learning, wheras other are just a waste of time -
The Scientific American Mind (mind.scientificamerican.com) - by John Dunlosky, Katherine Rawon, Elizabeth Marsh, Mitchell Nathan and Daniel Willingham

This is a little 6 page article which seems to explain >80% of the key points listed in this book. Glad I read it and saved tons of time!
10 Comments 287 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
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5.0 out of 5 starsNever Too Late, Is It?
By James Knight on May 13, 2014
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
There are those situations in your life when you think, “Dang, if only I would have known that earlier, I could have…….” That thought crossed my mind a couple times when reading Make it Stick, because I certainly could have profited handsomely from knowing how to study, how to acquire knowledge, how to learn more effectively and more efficiently. The book lays out in very readable and convincing fashion the surprising conclusions of much research into different methods of studying and teaching, and describes a number of real world success stories in classrooms, hospital teaching programs, corporate training, and elite athletic programs.
The big surprise for me is that some of the most widely used study techniques, certainly including several of my old standbys, are also the least effective. It turns out that knowing how best to learn is not necessarily intuitive, and worse, some of the seemingly most intuitive learning regimens are not really very effective at all, comparatively speaking. I wonder at how much better I could have used my time in college (more parties!) and in the 40 years of my working life during which I was constantly required to learn and teach in order to stay abreast of my field. The good news is that I think I can still make very good use of the information as a quite older student still taking college classes, and the better news is that I can pass the book on to my sons for themselves and for my granddaughter, and we can make something of a family project of learning and practicing better ways to learn. Wouldn’t it be lovely to be able to have a profound impact on my granddaughter’s ability to effectively acquire knowledge? Putting this book to work is going to be very interesting, and I think very rewarding too - not without some effort, but as you will read, therein lies the magic.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsInvaluable asset to the academic

Being a post graduate medical professional currently studying toward a speciality as an Emergency physician, I have found this book invaluable. Read more

Published 8 days ago by Kamlin Ekambaram
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Great book for people in school trying to study to their full potential!

Published 10 days ago by Amber Woodcock
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Outstanding information.

Published 10 days ago by Dennis Ryan
5.0 out of 5 starsMust Read For Everyone Who Wants To Learn

Make It Stick is a great book. It is a must read for everyone whether you recently graduated high school or am embarking on pursuing higher education later in life. Read more

Published 20 days ago by ProfStudent
5.0 out of 5 starsNot empirically validated, then it's not supported by this book.

I listened to the audible version of this book and it was great. I had read about many of the scientific studies he mentioned in other books but not all of them. Read more

Published 23 days ago by Jason Enochs
5.0 out of 5 starsan important point of view

The extent to which a person is able to learn, how learning can be effectively pursued, and then later retain the skills and knowledge gained from the learning activities involve... Read more

Published 23 days ago by Michael George
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Highly recommend this book. You can even get it as audible and a summary of it on audible too.

Published 24 days ago by rosewood
5.0 out of 5 starsVery useful - but not for eveyone

I have made it my practice, when I find a book I really find useful, to read the critical reviews. Most focused on the length of the book and that it was filled with stories -... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Paul Hafner
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat Reading for Students and Teachers

This book is AMAZING! I have been a chemistry teacher at high school and college levels for many years. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Susan
1.0 out of 5 starsNot worth reading

It is ironic that a book that is supposed to teach you how to improve your memory has almost nothing worth remembering. Read more

Published 1 month ago by doug korty

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